Torrijas: Recipe for those who have never made torrijas

Total: 30 min Diners: 6

Before I went to live in Madrid, for me torrijas was the Sunday breakfast when there was a lot of stale bread left and my mother got up eager to get into the kitchen. But in the capital I discovered that Easter is not the same without some good torrijas, that like any traditional recipe, no two people make them the same and in every family have their little tricks.

Ingredients

Milk, 500 ml Peel of a lemon Cinnamon stick, one stick Sugar, 3 or 4 tablespoons Bread for torrijas, one loaf Beaten egg, for batter Sugar and cinnamon, for batter Mild-flavored oil, for frying

The fact is that almost all are delicious and can always be adapted to the taste of each house, more or less sweet, more or less soaked, with milk, with syrup, chocolate…. I do not continue because I’m starting to salivate.

How to make homemade torrijas

Torrijas are one of the great miracles of traditional Spanish cuisine, as it manages to turn a piece of bread, usually hard, in a sweet delicate texture and delicious flavor that conquers all.

Although it is usual to use torrijas bread, a bread with little fermentation and dense crumb capable of absorbing a large amount of liquid, they can also be made with other breads, including sliced bread or with leftover pastries such as brioches, croissants, etc.

Flavored milk is usually used for moisturizing, but you can also use liqueur or wine syrup, milk with cocoa. Traditionally they are fried and then dipped in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon or bathed in syrup, depending on how sweet you are. So, the recipe that I propose today, which is the most basic made with ingredients very easy to get even in these days of quarantine.

Porrijas recipe for beginners

As I say, they allow all kinds of customizations, but even if you make them as I tell you, these simple homemade torrijas are a delight.

Step 1

In a saucepan heat the milk with the lemon peel without the white part, the cinnamon stick broken into two or three pieces and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Step 2

Cut the bread into slices about two centimeters thick, dip them in the infused milk until they are well soaked and, with the help of a spatula, put them aside on a plate.

Step 3

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. We dip the torrijas in beaten egg and being careful not to break them, again I recommend using a spatula, we dip them in the hot oil. Fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and drain them well. We leave them on a grid or colander. I, personally, am a friend of putting them on absorbent paper because the oil that remains on the paper is then reabsorbed by the torrijas.

Step 4

When we have finished frying all our torrijas, mix the cup of sugar with the cinnamon powder, coat our homemade torrijas in the mixture and serve. If we coat them while they are still hot, a kind of syrup will form and if we wait for them to cool a little, the sugar grains will still be visible. It is not that one option is better than the other, as both have their advocates so you can choose the one you like best.

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